Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device (LCD) and method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a flexible printed circuit board, a back light unit and an LCD using the same.
Discussion of the Related Art
Flat panel displays (FPD) have been used for various kinds of electronic products including cellular phones, tablet PCs, and notebook computers. Examples of flat panel displays include liquid crystal display devices (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), and organic light emitting display devices (OLEDs). Recently, electrophoretic displays (EPDs) have been widely used as a flat panel display.
LCDs have been commercially used most widely owing to their advantages such as mass production techniques, matured driving techniques, and high picture quality.
FIG. 1A is an exemplary view illustrating a cross-section of an LCD according to the related art. FIG. 1B is an exemplary view illustrating a bottom of an LCD according to the related art. Particularly, FIG. 1B illustrates a bottom of the LCD from direction ‘Z’ of FIG. 1A.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the LCD according to the related art includes a reflecting plate 11, a light guide panel 12, an optical film module 13, a guide panel 14, a liquid crystal panel 16, a light-shielding tape 15, and a light source module 20.
The light source module 20 includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 21 and a light source 22. The flexible printed circuit board 21 is attached to the guide panel 14, the light source 22 and the light guide panel 12 by an adhesive tape 17. The guide panel 14 may be supported by a cover bottom 18.
To complete the LCD, the liquid crystal panel 16 is attached to the light source module 20, the light guide panel 12 and the optical film module 13 by the light-shielding tape 15.
Recently, studies have been in progress to reduce a width of an outer portion (hereinafter, simply referred to as ‘bezel’) of the LCD.
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, because the guide panel 14 is provided in a rectangular frame type, and because the light source module 20 is arranged at a bezel area NAA of the guide panel 14, it may have been difficult to reduce the width of the bezel NAA of the LCD according to the related art.
For example, the bezel area NAA of the LCD according to the related art includes a first area A extending from an outer portion of a display area A/A, from which an image is output, to an outer portion of the light guide panel 12, a second area B extending from the first area A to the guide panel 14, and a third area C corresponding to a thickness of the guide panel 14 and the cover bottom 18.
Since each of the above areas performs its unique function, it may be difficult to remove any one of the areas randomly, or it may be difficult to reduce a width of any one of the areas randomly. As a result, it may have been difficult to reduce the width of the bezel area NAA where the light source module 20 is arranged.